Having just rejoined the mailing list, I am starting off with a question. Ted Molczan sent me details of the recent discussions about the FSW-3 #2 equipment module starting to flash, and this has opened up something which would be useful for a paper that I am currently working (and which I hope to be presenting in June next year at the British Interplanetary Society). Ted posted some comments on my behalf about my belief that the CCDs (and probably other equipment) in the FSW equipment modules (EM) continue to operate after the descent module returns to Earth. On the FSW-0 and FSW-1 flight the EM would be in orbit for at least a week after the descent craft returned: for the FSW-2 and FSW-3 missions the EM is in orbit for longer periods. I would be interested if there are visual observations as to whether the EMs remained stable and didn't become "flashers" after the descent craft returned. OK, we know that the FSW-3 #2 EM is flashing, after losing attitude control, but what about the one from FSW-3 #1, the FSW-2 series or even FSW-1 series ? I would not expect the FSW-0 series of flights (until possibly the later ones) to have had operating EMs left in orbit, but after that I think that it is possible for the later series. Steady EMs (not flashing) would imply attitude control being maintained and thus the module being under ground control and thus continuing to operate. If anyone would like to respond either via this list or direct (molniya@dircon.co.uk) then any information would be fully credited in the planned paper. Ted did comment about some observations from Russell Eberst for the FSW-1 #5 mission, launched in 1993. At the time USSPACECOM was issuing two-lines which were very confusing because we had the equipment module was in the low orbit and the descent module had been boosted to an eccentric orbit after the satellite was mis-aligned at the time of retrofire: orbital data were issued for both catalogue numbers for both orbital regimes for a while, until USSPACECOM worked out what had happened and then sorted out their data. As a result, to me it is not clear whether the object which Russell observed as being steady on October 22, 1993 was the EM that decayed on October 28 or whether it was the descent module in the eccentric orbit that was steady on October 22 and then flashing (tumbling) on November 25. Clarifications would be greatly appreciated ! Many thanks in advance to anyone who can assist ........ Phillip Clark ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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